Vacuum cleaner



oct. 24, "1939.

VACUUM CLEANER N. car-:NELL 2,177,588

Filed July 8, 1936 l 9. BY

LATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 724, 1939 VACUUM CIEAN ER Nils Genell, Gothenburg, Sweden, assgnor to Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware 'Application July 8, 1936, Serial No. 89,565 In Germany .luly 9, 1935 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to improved means for movably supporting a vacuum cleaner on a surface.

While not limited to vacuum cleaners qf the following type, the invention is particularly well adapted for use in connection with cleaners having a dust separating member and motor-fan unit contained in a casing which is adapted to be connected to a suction nozzle bymeans of a flexible hose, the hoseserving the dual purpose of conveying air from the nozzle to the casing and of pulling the casing around on the surface.

lWhile it has been known to support such a vacuum cleaner unit by means of either runners or rollers, both of these means of support have certain advantages and both have certain disadvantages. When the unit is supported on a surface havinga low degree of hardness such as a soft rug. runners are preferable inasmuch as they distribute the weight over a comparatively large area and hence do not sink into the nap of the rug. Rollers, `on the contrary, have but a small -area of contact and hence concentrate the weight of the unit to such an extent that the rollers sink into the rug andl make it difcult to move the unit thereover. On a hard surface, on the other hand, rollers provide the better support inasmuch as they may roll easily thereover, while runners produce a large amount of friction, may scratch the surface, and particularly if sand or the like is present on the surface, the movement of the runners thereover results inv an objectionable grating noise. Also the runners become worn excessively.

One of the objects of the present invention .is to provide an arrangement whereby either runners or rollers may be employed at the option of lthe operator, depending usually on the type of surface on which the Vvacuum cleaner unit is sup ported. l f

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and of which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a vacuum cleaner including one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but 'showing' certain parts in a different'position;

Fig. 4 is an end view of another embodiment of 4the invention;

Fig. 5 is an end view of a portion of the device (Cl. 28o-8) shown in Fig. 4, but with certain parts in different positions;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

,Figs 7, 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views of 5- three. further embodiments of the invention.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 through 3 reference character I0 designates generally a vacuum cleaner unit including a preferably cylindrical casing Il provided with reenforcing rings I2 and I3 at opposite ends thereof. A dust bag I3 and a motor-fan unit I4 are disposed within casing Il. An end member I5 provided with an exhaust opening I6 is secured to one end of casing II, while an end member I1 is secured to the other end, as by spring clips I8. End member I1 is formed with a threaded central opening adapted to receive a coupling member I9 to which may be removably secured a iiexible hose 20 leading to a suction nozzle 2l. A rigid hollow han- 20 die member 22 may be interposed between hose 20 and nozzle 2|.

Rings I2 and I3 are formed with pairs of lugs 2 5 and 26. respectively, disposed as shown in the drawing. Rotatably secured to lugs 25 in any 25 suitable manner are forked members 2l in which are rotatably mounted rollers 28. Forked mem bers 29 are rigidly secured to lugs 26 androtatably support rollers 36.

Lugs 25 and 26 are also openings extending parallel to the axis of casing II, which openings are adapted to rotatably receive the ends 3| and 32, respectively, of runners 33. These runners are shaped as shown in Fig.

1 so as to have a straight surface contacting por- 35 tion 34 of a length substantially equal to that of cleaner unit I0. This straight portion is connected to,the end portions 3l and 32 by curved portions 35 and 36, respectively. Portions 35 and 36 are so curved that the ends 3l and 32 are par- 40 allel to the long straight portion of the runners,v and are also curved about a radius substantially equal to that of ringsl I2 and I3, as is shown in Fig. 3.

1n operation, the motor-fan unit I 4 causes air 45 to be drawn in through nozzle 2|, handle 22 and hose 20 to within dust bag I3. Any dust en' trained in the-air is deposited within the dust bag, while the air passes through the material thereof to the fan -and is discharged through the 50 exhaust opening I6. The unit I0 is normally placed on the floor behind the operator who grasps the handle- 22 and moves the nozzle 2| back and vforth over the lfloor. Due togthe flexible connection provided by 'conduit 20 between the nozzle 65 formed with centei` 30,

and the unit I0, the unit is not moved back and forth with the nozzle, but as the operator works lfrom one portion of the surface to another, the unit |0 is pulled along by means of the hose 20.

With the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the runners 33 support the unit on the surface, while the rollers 28 and 30 are spaced from thel surface. Consequently, the entire weight of the unit is carried by the runners. This is of advantage if the cleaner is supported on a soft yieldable surface such as a rug, inasmuch as the weight is distributed over a considerable area, thus tending toreduce penetration of the supporting means into the rug.

If, however, it is desired to support the cleaner unit on a hard surface, such as a hard wood floor, the runners 33 may be folded or pivoted up against the under-side of the casing as is shown in Fig. 3. Due to the curvature of end portions 35 and 36,*the runners conform to the outer contour of the casing. In this position of the runners, the rollers 28 and 30 contact the surface and support the entire weight of the unit. The pivotal connection between forked members 21 and lugs provide a caster eiect for the front rollers 28,

lthus permitting the unit to readily follow the hose.

Any desired means may be employed to retain the runners 33 in the different positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, and such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 6. As there shown, one of the lugs is provided with a wedge-shaped recess 40 having a curved wall into which recessextends a pin'4| rigidly connected to the runner.

The width of recess 40 limits the pivotal'movement of the runners, and, due to the fact that the wall of the recess is curved, the pin 4| tends to remain at either end of the recess. The inherent resiliency of the runner permits the pin to pass the high point at the middle of the curved wall.

i In the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 through l 6, the ends 3| and 32 of the runners extend completely through the lugs 25 and 26, respectively, and forked members 21 and 29 are secured to these extended ends instead of being secured to the lugs. Consequently, the runners and the rollers on each side are pivotable as a unit. l As shown in Fig. 4, the runners 33 are in contact with the surface, while the rollers extend at an angle to the surface and are spaced therefrom. In the position shown in Fig. 5, the runners and rollers have been pivoted to a position in which the rollers contact the surface While the ruinners are spaced therefrom.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 through 3, the center of gravity of the unit is at a diierent height from the Hoor when the rollers or runners, respectively, are used, while in the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 through 6 the height of the center of gravity remains substantially the same whether the rollers or the runners are in use.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7 the runners 33 are provided with vertical extending slots 45 near each end of the straight portion of the runners. A roller 46 is adapted to be rotatably supported in each slot by means of a supporting member 41 formed with resilient arms 48 which areadapted to clamp around the runners.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 8 differs from that shown in Fig. 7 in that the runner 33 is solid While pairs of rollers 49 are rotatably secured to opposite ends of the supporting member 41 which resiliently clamps around the runner.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 9, a supporting member 50 spans the runners 33 on opposite sides of the unit and rollers 5| are secured to opposite ends of the member 50 and outside the runners.

In each of the embodiments shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the supporting members may be readily snapped on and off the runners in order to attach and detach the rollers. When it is desired to use the cleaner unit on a surface having a low degree of hardness the rollers are removed whereby the unit is supported by the runners. When it is desired to use the cleaner on a surface having a high degree of hardness the rollers are put in place, thus supporting the unit and spacing the runners slightly from the surface.

However, it is not necessary to remove the rollers when it is desired to support the vacuum cleaner unit on a soft surface inasmuch as the rollers extend such a short distance below the runners that the latter `carry most of the weight and limit the distance which the former penetrate to such an extent that it is not objectionable.

`While there has been shown several more or less specific embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that this has been done for purpose of illustration only, and that the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereby, but is to be determined by the appended claims viewed in the light of the prior art.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner including a casing adapted to be moved over a surface, the combination with said casing of means for movably supporting the casing on the surface including runners and rollers fixed to each other and extending at an angle with respect to each other and pivotally secured to the casing.

2. In a vacuum cleaner including a casing adapted to be moved over a surface, the combination with said casing of means for movably supporting the casing on the surface including runners and rollers fixed to each other and extending at an angle with respect to each other and pivotally secured to the casing, and locking means for retaining the supporting means in a position with the runners in contact with the surface and selectively in a position with the rollers in contact with the surface.

3. In a vacuum cleaner including a casing adapted to be moved over a surface, the combination with said casing of an elongated runner pivotally secured to each side of the casing, a roller rotatably secured to each end of each of said runners and angularly disposed with respect thereto, and means for retaining said runners in a position in contact with the surface and selectively in a position with said rollers in contact with the surface.

NILS GENELL. 

